On a gloomy Saturday afternoon, Texas fought hard to come away with a 3-1 victory. In contrast to the high scoring on Friday night, pitching was the theme Saturday. Shugart went for a season-high 7.2 innings pitched, allowing just one run on the day. It was arguably Shugart’s best outing of the season thus far.

Shugart, who was one of the team’s top relievers last year, finally looked at ease in the starting role.

“I feel like I’m getting a little more comfortable with (being a starting pitcher),” Shugart said. “Me and Coach (Phil Haig) have been working in our bullpens on executing the lower half. I’ve had a problem leaving balls up when my lower half isn’t working correctly. So working on my lower half has really helped me out.”

Texas head coach David Pierce said he has also noticed the improvement in Shugart lately. He noted the task asked of Shugart to move from the bullpen into a starting role is a lot tougher than most would believe.

“Changing roles isn’t as easy as it appears from sitting in the stands,” Pierce said. “It’s a different role. And he’s truly starting to get comfortable there. So I think that’s the difference. And then he’s learning something about himself, something about his preparation and how he prepares between innings on the bench. So he’s just really doing a better job of being focused on his preparation.”

In the bottom of the first inning, the Longhorns scored two runs on an RBI single by junior outfielder Masen Hibbeler and an RBI double by redshirt freshman designated hitter Zach Zubia.

Zubia, whose homer made the difference in Friday night’s game, went 3-4 on the day with two singles, a double and an RBI. Zubia, who is the team’s cleanup hitter, has reached base safely in 41 straight games, a statistic that continues to rise.

Zubia currently boasts a .314 batting average with nine home runs, 33 RBIs and 30 walks, all of which are tied or ranked second behind junior Kody Clemens.

“I try not to think about it as much as possible,” Zubia said. “Because if you think about it, you’re not going to have success at the plate with all that stuff going through you head. But if you’re on base and you think about it, it’s cool to think about because you’re helping your team out.”

Texas, which has been in two surprisingly tough games against New Orleans this weekend, has already clinched the series but will look to secure the sweep with another win on Sunday. First pitch at UFCU Disch-Falk Field is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

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In a game deadlocked 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth inning, freshman Zach Zubia drove a fastball to center field. Without even looking to see the ball go over the fence, the designated hitter dropped his bat to the ground, pointed celebratorily to the fans in the right-field bleachers and trotted over to first base.

There was no need to look.

Zubia left no doubt that the monstrous home run had just given the Longhorns the advantage — the last lead change in a roller coaster 8-6 Texas victory over New Orleans on Friday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

“They came with the off-speed and then with the fastball,” Zubia said. “They hung a split-finger fastball up, and I was able to get under it and hit it out. I got the barrel on the ball and that’s it.”

Entering Friday, there was no reason to think this would be much of a game.

The Longhorns have dominated non-Power 5 opponents this year. Before Friday, Texas was 10–1 against such competition, outscoring teams 64 to 21.

But the Southland’s Privateers proved to be a worthy opponent from the jump. In the first inning, New Orleans pounced on junior pitcher Nolan Kingham. The Privateers scored three runs in the inning, a rally highlighted by two-run bomb to left field.

“Whether it’s a non-conference or a conference game, people come into The Disch and bring their A-game,” Texas head coach David Pierce said. “I thought (New Orleans) swung the bats well early, and we weren’t very sharp early with Nolan (Kingham).”

With Texas failing to get anything going at the plate, the team found itself trailing 4-0 heading to the bottom of the fifth. But that’s when the fun started.

Texas then reached base in five different ways — in five consecutive at-bats — to knot the game up at 4-4.

Zubia was hit by a pitch, then sophomore infielder David Hamilton walked to put runners on first and second. After an error loaded the bases, junior catcher DJ Petrinsky singled to cut the deficit to 4-3. A fielder’s choice RBI on the next at-bat completed the comeback.

But even after Texas took the lead in the next inning, New Orleans punched back, scoring two runs in the seventh to take a 6-5 lead heading into the eighth inning. That’s when Zubia and the Longhorns put the game away for good.

“Unbelievable resiliency and unbelievable fight from the team and not panicking,” Pierce said. “I think what’s happening is that we’re maturing and that we’re confident that we’re going to win. It’s here we go, hit here and hit there, and we’re going to win the game.”

Kingham struggled in the game, allowing six earned runs on nine hits.

Junior Josh Sawyer was awarded the win, his first since 2015, pitching a perfect eighth inning. After the game, Sawyer was surprised not only that he was awarded the win but how long it had been since his last one.

“I actually had no idea that I got the win,” Sawyer said. “I was in the locker room and Jake (McKenzie) came up, and he asked, ‘When was your last win?’’’ It wasn’t last year and it wasn’t the year before...I think I won a couple of games my sophomore year.”

Game two of the three-game series is slated for Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Disch-Falk Field.